Untold is a monthly series, produced by author, activist, and Arlington native, Wilma Jones. Through stories, and interviews, and archival material, Ms. Jones takes viewers on a journey through the history of Arlington, VA from a perspective often ignored.
This episode features authors Dr. Alfred O. Taylor, Jr. and Lydia Jones Cole.
Dr. Taylor is the author of two books, the first “Bridge Builders of Nauck/Green Valley: Past and Present” (2015) is a compilation of stories, interviews, and biographies of African-Americans who pursued and found success, despite the laws at that time that limited their access to everything from home loans to education. His second book is “What an Amazing Journey: To God Be the Glory” (2020). In this book, Dr. Taylor writes about his own life. In this book he answers the question frequently posed to him: “who is going to write about your life?” It include many examples of an amazing journey that was hugely transformational.
Lydia Jones Cole has written “You Must be a Jones: A Family Memoir” (2020). This is a heartwarming story of an American-American family preserving during some of the country’s most significant periods of change. The story highlights how Cole’s parents, a committee and hardworking African-American couple, created a happy and wholesome life and promising future for their seven children despite the limitations of segregation and racism.
Both authors not only tell deeply personal stories about themselves but both also discuss their genealogical roots and how learning about them impacted each of them.
This video was produced by Arlington Independent Media (AIM). It runs just over 54 minutes.